


i call it magic (when i'm with you)

by cosmogony



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Animal Transformation, Animal Translator Bokuto Koutarou, Curse Breaker Akaashi Keiji, Curse Breaking, First Meetings, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, Magic, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Regular Person Kuroo Tetsurou, Witch Kozume Kenma, and finally, oh and Soulmate Specialist Oikawa Tooru, this is possibly the most fun thing ive ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:14:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25551868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmogony/pseuds/cosmogony
Summary: As one of Tokyo's most established Potion Witches, Kozume Kenma's life was anything except ordinary. However, somehow his life takes an even stranger turn when his best friend, Kuroo Tetsurou, gets cursed and transformed into a cat.Luckily for the two, they meet a Curse-Breaker and Animal Telepathy Specialist who are more than willing to assist them in turning Kuroo human again, though all four of them may end up with more than they'd originally bargained for.Written for Kenma Ship Week 2020 Day 1 - Modern Magic
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 41
Kudos: 442
Collections: Kenma Ship Week 2020, Recommended KuroKen Fics





	i call it magic (when i'm with you)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [neenswrites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/neenswrites/gifts).



> hello hello!!! this was so so so much fun to write, i genuinely enjoyed putting this together!! i hope its as fun to read as it was to write!
> 
> this is a small gift to the beautiful and wonderful [Neens](https://twitter.com/neenswrites) who I love with my whole heart and wanted to find a way to show my appreciation for !! 
> 
> and also a huge thank you to [Nation](https://twitter.com/itsNationJoy) & [Madeline](https://twitter.com/todxrxki) for beta reading this, they're incredible!!
> 
> without further ado, here's the fic! happy kenma ship week!!!

Kozume Kenma’s life was strange.

But running a potions store in the middle of Tokyo was probably one of the strangest lifestyles one could have, to be fair. He had been criticised many times for being so bold, to run a store in such a noticeable place in a city filled with so many disbelievers. He’d found that ‘disbelievers’ were often just afraid of magic, and really, he couldn’t hold it against them. So he didn’t let that stop him. 

He was happy to face all the criticism in the world, after all. Not only did he have a successful business, but he also just happened to have the best support network on the planet. 

If a ‘network’ could be defined as one person. 

Kenma mindlessly tapped his pen against the oak bench he was sitting on. No, he definitely wouldn’t have made it this far without Kuroo Tetsurou’s unwavering support, encouraging him and preventing him from getting too caught up in others' irate hatred of his craft. If Kuroo hadn’t gently pushed him into following his dreams, he didn’t know where he’d be today. 

Certainly not here. 

And it hadn’t just been that. Kuroo spent more time assisting Kenma in his business than anything else, from countless nights helping calculate finances when he’d been starting out, to picking a wallpaper when Kenma hadn’t found time to even consider interior design, and even going as far as travelling between islands to find an ingredient that was impossible to get otherwise. 

And maybe, just maybe, through all of this, Kenma had developed a crush on him.

He sighed, resting his chin in his hand. Honestly, how could it have gone any other way? Between the countless hours they spent together and Kuroo’s selflessness when it came to doing things for Kenma, it really was only a matter of time before Kenma fell hard. 

Kenma wished there was a potion for falling out of love with someone who didn’t love you back. He would have taken it a long time ago. 

All that aside, Kuroo should have been back by now. Kenma glanced down at his phone for the nth time that evening.  _ 19:21.  _ He had closed the shop more than two hours ago, and was eagerly awaiting his chance to go home.

He did promise he’d wait for Kuroo to get back, though, as he wanted to make sure the azurea flower that Kuroo had gone to collect with him was stored properly. If Kuroo was making the eight-hour round trip to find it for Kenma, the least Kenma could do was store it in a cool, dark place as it was intended. 

Kenma sighed again. Kuroo would be back soon. Then he could store this stupid and oddly specific flower that had a healing quality that no other flower could come near, and then they’d be able to go  _ home  _ and he could finally get some sleep. Brewing the flower into a potion could wait until tomorrow. 

All he could do was wait. Perhaps Kuroo had struggled to track down where the flower was growing. Kenma’s explanation had probably been too vague for any accuracy. He had been mostly focused on the eyesight-enhancing potion he had been brewing, paying little heed to what he had been mumbling to Kuroo. 

A scratching at the door of the store pulled Kenma from his thoughts. He scrunched his eyebrows together;  _ why  _ was he hearing scratching? He hopped off of the stool he was perched on, tentatively approaching the door. He didn’t hesitate before wrapping his slim fingers around the handle and twisting it open. 

He looked around. There wasn’t anyone there except for a couple of passer-byers, but none that looked as though they’d been scraping at his door. A prank, perhaps? He was known to get threatening flyers, calling him a ‘freak’ at least once every few months, but he never let those get to him. This was potentially another bout of that.

A soft ‘mrow’ from the floor swiftly proved that to be incorrect, though. He had forgotten to look down. At his feet was a cat, relatively large, black and fluffy, with wide gold eyes staring up at him. It meowed again.

“Shoo, I don’t have any food for you.” The cats in the neighbourhood had clearly grown very ballsy indeed. But alas, it didn’t budge, eyes continuing to stare right into Kenma’s. 

That was when Kenma noticed it. There was a loose piece of string around the cat’s neck, acting as a makeshift collar. And tucked into that was a singular azurea flower, as vibrant blue as Kenma could recall. 

Kenma’s heart plummeted into his stomach.  _ No way.  _ He had to have been misunderstanding the situation. This was probably a harmless prank of Kuroo’s invention. He did love to frazzle Kenma. 

Nevertheless, he crouched down to become more level with the cat, sticking out his hand slightly. The cat moved forward, nuzzling its head against Kenma’s hand. This gave Kenma the opportunity to pluck the flower from the cat’s string collar to examine it more closely. 

It was definitely an azurea flower, the blue colour and glowing quality completely unmistakable. There was only one place this cat could have gotten this. Only one person Kenma knew who  _ knew  _ he was after it.

“Kuro?” Kenma hesitantly asked the cat, as though it could reply to him. Instead, it only gazed back at him, blinking once, no sign that it recognised him at all. “Kuro, what happened?”

He didn’t have a doubt in his mind that it was Kuroo he was looking at. Any other possibility had been thrown out of the window. The feeling in Kenma’s gut feeling merely confirmed it: Kuroo had been turned into a cat. 

Kenma grabbed the cat from under his front legs, holding him up to meet his eyes. Had he been hypnotised? Brainwashed? He didn’t even know how to begin to fix this.

He pulled him into the shop, kicking the door closed behind him to prevent Kuroo from getting outside. Kenma had enough to worry about already without Kuroo getting himself lost. 

He placed Kuroo onto one of the workbenches, taking a step back to examine him from afar. The cat only tilted his head at him, a sign that he didn’t understand what was happening.

“Fuck,” Kenma concluded, running a hand through his hair. His carelessness had clearly led to this. He had to take responsibility for this mistake. He’d been the one to get Kuroo into this situation, and he’d be the one to get him back out of it. He just had to work out  _ how.  _

“Okay, get your head in order,” Kenma mumbled to himself, trying to will his pounding heart to slow down in his chest. “It’s just a curse, probably a simple one. If you can understand it, you can break it.”

He knew that people didn’t just turn into animals of their own volition. The most likely outcome was that something had gone wrong during his travels, and Kuroo had found himself in the middle of it. Kenma just had to work out  _ what  _ the curse was, and then he could begin to solve it. 

That was the first rule of curses, after all. To break them, you had to know the wording of the curse. Or rather: you had to know the enemy you were facing.

Kenma looked back up at Kuroo, who was laying with his paws tucked under himself, not a care in the world. He couldn’t just  _ ask  _ Kuroo what the wording was. He was a  _ cat,  _ for fuck’s sake. He couldn’t speak. 

_ Unless...  _ maybe he could.

“Wait there, I have an idea,” Kenma commanded, before turning on his heel to rummage through one of the boxes on his shelf.

Once upon a time, when Kenma had still been trying to make a name for himself, an elderly lady had wobbled into the store with her parrot. She’d held him out to Kenma, claiming that he was ill, but no vet could understand what was wrong with him. Kenma, while reluctant, had reached out to grab the bird. Quickly, he understood the woman’s qualms. The parrot was moulting, and he seemed to have a kind of low energy that wasn’t often associated with lively, green parrots. 

Kenma had spent the next two and a half hours mulling over ingredients, mixing them together to find a combination that would allow the bird to communicate with them. 

And he had. After a while, his work finally paid off. A few failed attempts later, and many nicks and bites on his fingertips, he’d managed to get that bird to swallow enough of it. And the bird had  _ spoken,  _ in a very human voice. It had discussed in great detail how much its stomach hurt. The woman had thanked him and taken her very now-talkative parrot back to the vet. 

A week later she had come back with a bouquet of flowers, explaining that he’d swallowed a paperclip. Since they’d explained it to the vet and then gotten it out, he’s been much better. Although, she was disappointed the potion had worn off after a couple of hours. She said she missed the company. Kuroo had been there that day though. He’d reminded her that her beloved parrot was still there with her, regardless of whether he could speak in English, and that he loved her all the same. Kenma was worried the old woman was going to cry at Kuroo’s words.

Surely, he had some of that potion left. It definitely wasn’t bird-specific, and if it had worked on a parrot, it had to work on Kuroo. 

With a few minutes of looking, he produced the dropper-bottle: still three-quarters full of a bright orange liquid, it didn’t look as though it had expired, and it certainly didn’t smell rancid. He shook it as he walked back over to Kuroo.

“Can you understand me? Open your mouth,” he said to him. Kuroo did not answer, nor open his mouth. 

“Please?” Kenma tried again. 

Nothing. 

A huff left his chest, he took a step closer to Kuroo. “Are you going to bite me if I try and make you open it?” 

Kuroo just blankly stared at him. Kenma wasn’t sure if it was a challenge or if he just genuinely didn’t know what was going on.

“Worth a shot, then?” Kenma slowly moved his hand, giving Kuroo a moment to sniff it before using his thumb to pry Kuroo’s jaw open, his free hand dropping five drops onto his tongue. Kuroo didn’t bite him, instead opening and closing his jaw once Kenma had retracted his hand, his tongue sticking in and out of his mouth.

The potion really mustn’t have tasted very good. 

Once Kuroo settled down from his near-gagging experience, he went back to looking at Kenma.

“Kuro? Can you speak now?”

He only meowed in response, causing Kenma’s heart to further sink. 

Kenma gripped his hair in his hands, tugging on his blonde strands. “What the fuck! Why wouldn’t that work? Fuck, Kuro, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what to do.” As tempting as it was to have a breakdown in the middle of his store over his best friend being turned into a cat, it wouldn’t help them at all. He had to keep his thoughts at bay so that he could think of a solution.

Connections were not something that Kenma had. Often, it was Kuroo who had references when customers needed something more than a witch. Kuroo was the one who knew psychics and clairvoyants and exorcists, his friendly streak landing himself in the good graces of people all over the city. 

And Kenma didn’t know a single one of them. He hadn’t realised how much he’d depended on Kuroo for such a menial thing, but it appeared he was at an impasse.

Kenma wasn’t a fool. He knew when he was out of his depths. 

Somebody else was needed here, someone with an expertise in curses, and Kenma’s mind was coming up at a blank. There had to be  _ somebody  _ in Tokyo who knew how to break curses. 

What more could Kenma do except Google them? He gingerly took his phone into his hands, typing ‘curse specialists’ into the search bar. Surely it was going to be embarrassing to explain that he himself couldn’t fix this, but for Kuroo he’d go through any scrutiny. 

The first name to pop up was ‘Akaashi Keiji - curse-breaker’. That sounded good enough for Kenma: his title wasn’t too tacky, his website not obnoxious. Kenma skimmed the page. His address wasn’t too far from Kenma’s own, so he’d be able to walk there in under an hour. 

“I’m going to fix this, Kuro.” He had to, after all. 

* * *

Akaashi Keiji’s waiting room was not what Kenma had expected. 

If anything, it looked more like a dentist's office. Standing in its centre, eyes skimming the room, he found that it wasn’t a comforting place at all. Heavy fluorescent lights made the walls glow an unnatural white, no paintings or any other form of decoration adorning them. It was strictly professional and incredibly impersonal, something Kenma did not often associate with magic users. 

Trying to make a name for yourself in the magic world meant trying to make people remember you, at least enough to recommend you to their friends and neighbours and come back again. Kenma did it by being as effective as he could in all his results, plus Kuroo’s charm helped his case. His store was also homely, warm lighting making it feel inviting. 

Akaashi’s office did not have the same inviting atmosphere. Kenma almost wanted to run away. He clutched at the straps of his backpack that Kuroo was residing in. (Kenma wasn’t sure if he would have been sent away if he’d shown up with an actual cat, and he wasn’t about to take that risk.)

He didn’t know Akaashi Keiji. There wasn’t much information on him online when Kenma researched him: just a couple of reviews that he was professional and efficient. No photo, age, or any other information. 

Kenma swallowed down the nervous lump in his throat. He interacted with people every day. He shouldn’t let attempting to interact with one foreign and unknown person make him so nervous. Plus, he had Kuroo by his side. Nothing could go wrong if Kuroo was there with him. 

Before Kenma had the chance to sit down in the waiting area, the only door in the office creaked open, a young man standing in the doorway. And  _ gosh,  _ he was one of the prettiest people Kenma had ever seen. High cheekbones accented by unflawed pale skin only served to make his gunmetal blue eyes more striking. This paired with dark lashes and soft curls of hair made him appear like a real-life angel. Kenma personally did not believe in angels, but this man was genuinely making him reconsider. “Are you Kozume Kenma?”

Kenma nodded, eyes downturned. He could feel the anxiety gnawing at his heart. Even this person’s smooth voice was perfect. Life really was unfair. 

“I’m Akaashi Keiji. Would you like to come inside?” 

_ This  _ was Akaashi Keiji? Kenma didn’t expect a curse-breaker to be so… perfect? Perhaps it was poetic justice. Usually, curse-breakers had the reputation of being harsh and cold, often due to them seeing so much shit that they thought people were fools. Akaashi, however, had very genuine and kind eyes, the corners of his lips turned up in a soft smile. 

Kenma nodded, stepping past Akaashi into the office. It was very similar to the outside. There were no paintings, no signs of anything personal. Just a big oak desk with three seats around it, along with a notepad and pen. Kenma wondered why Akaashi was so impersonal in his job, but thought it’d be rude to ask. 

So instead he sat down in one of the seats and pulled his backpack with Kuroo inside onto his lap. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kozume,” Akaashi said from the doorway, lightly closing the door behind them. Kenma bowed his head in a ‘likewise’ manner. 

“You’re cursed?” Akaashi asked, sitting across the desk from Kenma. One of his hands was slightly leaning against his chin, his head tilted in concern. He did seem very kind; Kenma’s heart was able to calm down a fraction. “Can you speak?”

Kenma nodded again. “The curse isn’t on me. It’s on my best friend.” He probably should have made the specifics clear when he’d been booking, but he wasn’t exactly sure how to explain. He barely had an explanation himself. 

“You didn’t bring him?” Akaashi’s eyebrows drew together in concern. Kenma didn’t even want to think about the weird impression he was leaving on Akaashi.

“I did,” was Kenma’s only response. 

Akaashi looked around the room before his eyes settled back on Kenma. “Invisible?”

“A cat,” corrected Kenma, unzipping his backpack and gently lifting Kuroo out before placing him on Akaashi’s desk.

If Akaashi was concerned about the cat on his desk or the fact that Kenma thought that a backpack was a suitable transportation method for a cat, he didn’t say anything. Instead he just stared at the black fluffy cat, who was staring right back at him. Kenma moved his hands to rake through Kuroo’s fur. “This is Kuroo.” 

“Right,” Akaashi said, blinking, not breaking eye contact. “How’d this happen?”

“I don’t know.” 

“Okay, that’s okay.” Akaashi’s voice was soft. “I’m sure we can fix this. How long has it been?”

“He came home last night looking like this,” Kenma whispered. “I don’t think he knows what’s going on.”

Akaashi hummed, sticking his hand out to Kuroo to let him sniff it. “It must have been a very powerful witch who put this curse on him then, for it to impact both his physical and mental form.”

Kenma didn’t know how to reply to that. He wasn’t sure why a witch would curse Kuroo in the first place. Kuroo was genuinely one of the most charming and likeable people in existence, or at least Kenma thought so. 

Akaashi reached across the table to grab Kuroo, who willingly went with him. Kenma’s heart lurched when he gripped Kuroo. While Kenma thought Akaashi seemed like a very genuine person, it was hard to trust a stranger with your very vulnerable best friend. 

“Be careful with him,” Kenma muttered, hands tightly gripping his seat. His eyes were focused on Akaashi and Kuroo; he knew if Akaashi did anything at all unsightly to Kuroo, he could hex him within a matter of seconds.  _ It’d be fine _ , he told himself.

Akaashi didn’t seem too concerned with Kenma’s sudden change of personality, instead offering him another small smile. “I’ll be gentle, please trust me.”

Kenma bit his lip. “Okay.” 

With that, Akaashi placed one hand, fingers spread over Kuroo’s back and closed his eyes. Kenma leant forward in his seat when he noticed light blue sparkles flowing from Akaashi’s fingertips. Kuroo, though, did not look at all bothered, putting Kenma at ease. Whatever Akaashi was doing, it obviously wasn’t hurting him. 

After a few moments, which seemed like a lifetime to Kenma, the sparks faded from Akaashi’s fingers, and he opened his eyes. 

“I have good news.” 

That was possibly the greatest sentence Kenma had ever heard in his life. He let his shoulders sag. “What is it?”

“It’s a Key Curse. The most basic type to solve, really.” 

Kenma tilted his head to the side. He may be a witch, but he didn’t know much about curses, let alone what the different types meant.

Akaashi seemed to understand his confusion without words. “There are a few types of curses, some very, very complex to solve. Some have a time limit on them. Sometimes you even need the curse caster to solve it. Those are a pain in the ass, for lack of a better term.” Akaashi’s voice was very sweet, and Kenma idly thought he wouldn’t mind listening to it for the rest of the day. He chastised himself for the thought. There were more important matters at hand right now. 

“A Key Curse, well, is the kind where you have to fulfil a requirement to solve the curse. Something like ‘bathe in flowing water’ or something equally trivial. Think of it as a key in a lock! You just have to find the key that fits to open it.” 

Akaashi looked down at Kuroo before continuing. “Though, this one is a bit unique. It’s like… there are three locks. Three requirements.” 

He didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t want to hear anything that would make fixing this any more difficult than it had to be. Kenma looked at Akaashi intently. “That’s unusual?” 

“I’ve never seen it,” Akaashi answered, tone apologetic. “But we can fix it. What were the words of the curse? That will help us work out what to do.” 

“I don’t know,” Kenma said. He hated how much he  _ didn’t  _ know lately. For a powerful witch, he felt useless when it came to this situation. 

“You’re a witch,” Akaashi said, which Kenma didn’t think he’d told Akaashi, but his mind was a bit too frazzled to question how he knew that. “Can’t you talk to him? With a spell or potion?” 

Kenma frowned. He was a potions witch, but that hadn’t worked. He told Akaashi that, and Akaashi looked back at him contritely in response. It felt like Kenma really was the most useless person on the planet; what kind of witch couldn’t even help his best friend? His stomach was starting to rise into his throat. 

Kuroo stood up and walked across back to Kenma, jumping onto his lap. It was as though he sensed Kenma’s strife, and set out to comfort him. Kenma gently stroked Kuroo’s forehead. 

Akaashi put his head in his hands. “Okay, without the words of the curse, it’s… a little harder to solve. But not impossible. We can work something out.” It sounded an awful lot like Akaashi was trying to convince himself of this instead of convincing Kenma. 

“How?” Kenma asked. Kuroo meowed softly, as though he were asking too. 

Akaashi sat up straight and took a deep breath. “I have an, um, friend. He’s an Animal Telepathy Specialist. I think he’ll be able to work it out. Do you mind if I ring him now?” 

“Please.” Kenma’s voice was overly eager. He was excited to be making any sort of progress on fixing this. He was exceptionally grateful for Akaashi’s services, too. Not only was this perfect man a curse-breaker, but he seemed willing to go above and beyond to help. 

Akaashi slipped his phone out of his pocket, and dialled a number, putting it on speaker so Kenma could hear as well. Kenma thought him very trusting for that. 

A few rings later, a very loud and cheery voice greeted them. “Hey, hey, hey! Keiji! Long time no see!” 

“Hello, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi greeted, voice sweet. “How have you been?” 

“I’ve been really, really good! Kinda lonely without you at night lately though! When are you coming over? Oh! Did you ring to ask if we could hook up tonight?” The man that Akaashi had called Bokuto continued to ramble on, and with each passing moment, Akaashi’s face became increasingly flushed, a look of horror warping his beautiful features. Kenma thought it was rather interesting seeing someone as composed seeming as Akaashi Keiji lose his cool. Hearing this rambling also served to calm Kenma down, something else to focus on aside from the churning in his gut and screaming in his head that he was a failure. The picture of the relationship Akaashi had with his ‘friend’ was becoming very clear to him, though he didn’t pay it much heed, because he was far more interested in this person’s help than his sex life.

“Bokuto-san!” Akaashi chided. “I have someone else on the phone with me, and we were actually asking about your animal translating services.” Akaashi mouthed a ‘sorry’ at Kenma. Kenma offered him a smile in return.

“Oh, fuck, Keiji, I’m sorry! Hi stranger! I promise Keiji is very very professional.” This person seemed like a never-ending stream of words, Kenma was exhausted just listening to him. 

“Hi,” Kenma deadpanned. “I’m sure he is.”

“Kozume’s friend has been turned into a cat,” Akaashi said, evidently relieved that he could now change the subject, though his ears were still burning red. “And it would be much appreciated if you could ask him what the curse is.” 

“Any friend of Keiji’s is a friend of mine! Do you guys wanna come over? I’m home all day today.” 

“I thought you worked today, shouldn’t you be at the office?” Akaashi’s brows drew together in concern. “Is everything okay?” 

Kenma almost sympathised with Akaashi. He was clearly in love with this Bokuto person. It was possibly the most obvious thing on the planet. Kenma wondered what the circumstances were that caused them not to be dating, though. Hook-up partners seemed like something that happened typically without feelings attached, and yet it was clear in Akaashi’s worry that he cared for him. 

He hoped the situation wasn’t unrequited love, like Kenma’s own circumstance; he wouldn’t wish that upon anybody. Especially someone as perfect and kind as Akaashi Keiji. 

“I’m fine,” Bokuto reassured. “I just had a late night last night trying to convince some rats to stop infesting this dude’s home, so I woke up late. Konoha’s filling in for me today!” 

Akaashi smiled, a real, genuine smile. Such was the look of a lovesick fool. Kenma had seen the expression on his own face - and it disgusted him. 

“Okay, then, we’ll be right over. I don’t have any other appointments today. If that’s okay with Kozume?”

“Sounds perfect to me.” Kenma didn’t know anything about Bokuto other than that he was loud, talkative, and an over-sharer, but Kenma was grateful for him nonetheless. He was kind enough to let a stranger into his home on his day off, and that put him instantly in Kenma’s good books. He owed these people a great deal of money and tips - oh, and potion vouchers too.

“See y’all soon then!” Bokuto’s voice boomed through the phone. For the first time today, Kenma let himself feel  _ truly  _ hopeful that everything would be okay. 

* * *

Bokuto’s appearance was even louder than his personality, even though it should have been impossible. He was leaned against his doorframe, grey hair spiked up in some ridiculous style that Kenma couldn’t even begin to describe, and wide gold eyes that unnerved Kenma the longer they bore into Kenma. There was also the fact that he was very much shirtless, only wearing a pair of sweatpants. He may have been built like some sort of Greek god, but Kema wondered if he had even a shred of shame in his perfectly-sculpted body. 

Was he just meeting increasingly perfect people today? Between Akaashi and Bokuto, and even Kuroo, back when he was human. Kenma wasn’t sure if he was in an alternate universe where everyone was just beautiful. 

Kenma clutched Kuroo closer to his chest, feeling him purr. Kenma’s social anxiety was truly suffering today. 

“Aw, you’re so cute!” Bokuto said upon greeting them. 

“This is Kuroo,” Kenma mumbled into the cat’s fur. 

“I wasn’t talking about him.” Bokuto winked at Kenma, which made Kenma pull the most horrified expression he thought he’d ever displayed and hunch up his shoulders. This was  _ not  _ supposed to be happening. 

Kenma looked over to Akaashi for help, but he was just staring at the ground in disdain, as though the carpet had committed a murder. Jealousy was a strange thing. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, you guys come in!” Bokuto moved aside, making room for Kenma and Akaashi to pass him. 

Bokuto’s apartment was chaotic. Kenma almost couldn’t believe he’d asked them to come here in a professional circumstance. His kitchen was seemingly upside down, random pieces of fruit strewn over the bench and stove, and unpacked bags of groceries at the base of the counter. His living room, attached to the kitchen, was even more odd. The walls were painted an obnoxious lime green, and there were pillows all over the floor. 

The weirdest addition, however, was the perch in the very centre of the room, a great horned owl perched on it. It was eyeing Kuroo, head tilted. Kenma clutched Kuroo tighter. He was not going to hesitate to murder that owl if it came anywhere near his Kuroo. 

As though he could read Kenma’s thoughts, Bokuto said “Don’t mind Suess, he’s well behaved! Isn’t that right baby?” Bokuto cooed the last bit at the owl, who hooted in response. 

So it seemed Bokuto genuinely could communicate with animals. Even though Akaashi had told Kenma he could, the last seeds of doubt in Kenma’s mind dispelled. 

“Do you guys want a drink? I know you like tea, Keiji! No sugar and a splash of milk!” Bokuto grinned like he was proud of himself for remembering that. 

Kenma may not have had the greatest social skills on the planet, but everything about Bokuto and Akaashi made perfect sense. Akaashi’s love wasn’t unrequited at all. However, it seemed like the two of them were just both too dense to realise that. Bokuto was just as whipped. The flirting stunt at the door, Kenma guessed, was just Bokuto’s way to gauge a reaction from Akaashi, to see if he’d get jealous. 

It took one hell of a crush to remember someone’s drink order. Especially the drink order of a ‘friend with benefits’. 

Kenma knew Kuroo’s. A flat white with one and a half sugars, almond milk preference. He couldn’t help but wonder if Kuroo knew his drink order, too - not that he could ask right now. 

“Yes, please.” Akaashi moved into the living room, gently stroking Suess’ forehead before taking a seat. 

Bokuto turned back to Kenma. “Do you or Kuroo want anything?” 

Kenma shook his head, but Kuroo meowed at Bokuto. 

“Aw, you’re hungry? I’m not sure I have any cat food, buddy, let me look!” Bokuto then stepped into the kitchen, humming a happy song as he turned on the kettle, and began to filter through bags and cupboards. 

Kenma’s head was  _ spinning.  _ He’d just communicated with Kuroo so seamlessly. How much practice had that taken? Kenma had so many questions for this man. He was also incredibly relieved, though. He could understand Kuroo after all. They truly were one step closer to solving this. 

“Do you think cats can eat tuna cans?” Bokuto asked, holding one up. “It’s not flavoured.” 

Kenma had no idea. Neither did Akaashi, based on his silence. Kuroo meowed again. 

“He said yes to the tuna can! You can put him down so he can eat, Kozume,” Bokuto said, opening the can and putting its contents onto a small porcelain plate before placing it on the floor. 

Kenma didn’t know if he was comfortable letting Kuroo out of his grasp in a strange place, with an even stranger owl staring at him, but he supposed he couldn’t let Kuroo go hungry. He bent over to lower Kuroo onto the ground, who was happy to leap out of his arms and begin to munch at the tuna, eliciting a loud laugh from Bokuto. 

“You sure you don’t want anything, Kozume?” 

Kenma shook his head again. “I’m okay, thank you. You can call me Kenma, by the way.”

“Okay, Kenma, go make yourself comfortable on the couch! I’ll bring Kuroo over when he’s done!” Kenma didn’t really want to leave Kuroo, but he felt far too awkward rejecting Bokuto’s request. He shuffled over and perched on the edge of the couch, watching the owl intently. 

“Suess won’t harm Kuroo, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Akaashi chimed from the other lounge, scrolling through his phone. “He’s a good owl.” 

“You know a lot about Bokuto,” Kenma said. He didn’t  _ mean  _ to pry, but the chance had provided itself. Plus, he couldn’t just sit in silence. It’d be rude. Something inside of him  _ wanted  _ to know more about the elusive Akaashi Keiji. 

Akaashi blinked up at him. “We have been friends for a long time.”

“How’d you meet?” 

The corners of Akaashi’s lips turned up. “He helped me get my neighbour’s cat down from a tree.” 

It was strange, Kenma thought. He didn’t usually care for people, let alone ask about their lives, but when it came to Akaashi and Bokuto, he soaked in every word. It was so rare to feel so comfortable around people who were mostly strangers - usually Kenma would have thrown up if he spent this much time around anybody who wasn’t Kuroo - but today he was fine. He would have been happy, probably, if the circumstances were different. 

“That cat was an asshole, by the way. Called me a knucklehead,” Bokuto said as he entered the room, causing Akaashi to lift his hand over his mouth to stifle his giggle. He had a mug of tea in one hand, and Kuroo tucked under his arm in the other. He handed the mug to Akaashi, and then put Kuroo back onto Kenma’s lap, before sitting beside Akaashi on the couch. “Now, let’s see what we’re working with here.”

“Thank you for this, by the way,” Kenma interjected, brushing his hair behind his ear. 

“Anything for Keiji!” He beamed, before he lowered himself to level his gaze with Kuroo’s. “Do you know who you are, buddy?” 

Kuroo meowed. 

“Okay, that’s a no. So, memory loss, damn.” 

Kenma’s heart stopped. If Kuroo had no memory… would he remember the curse? And how had he gotten back home to Kenma?

“Do you remember Kenma?” 

Kuroo meowed twice. 

“Ah, that’s good at least.” Bokuto looked up and winked at him again.

“What did he say?” Kenma asked, his voice far more desperate than he’d intended. 

Bokuto chuckled. “He said he didn’t really know who you were, only that getting back to you was really important to him.” Kenma’s chest blossomed with warmth, though he hoped a blush didn’t show on his face. 

“Does he remember the curse?” Akaashi interrupted. 

Kuroo meowed, and Kenma’s breath hitched in his throat. This was make or break. 

“Yes! It’s just about all he’s got!” Bokuto fist-pumped the air. “Hey, hey, hey! We can solve this!” 

Kuroo continued meowing, longer and more furiously than he had before. Kenma absentmindedly stroked his fur. 

“Damn, what a bitch! Just because you were in the same flower field as her? Flowers are free real estate, man!” Bokuto put one hand on his hip. 

That solved the  _ why  _ Kuroo got cursed question, at least. Some other ambitious witch had been after the azurea flower too, and was willing to curse anybody else so they could get the majority of it. 

That greed was why Kenma detested most people. Guilt welled up in his chest that he’d truly been the reason Kuroo had been there in the first place, though. Kuroo, with no magical skill and absolutely no way to defend himself against something like that, did not deserve to be in this predicament. Kenma would go himself next time, he promised himself and Kuroo that much. 

“So, what was the curse?” Akaashi pulled out a notebook and pen from his pocket, ready to write it down.

“You who dares to steal from me, an incommunicable cat you will be. May this curse remove all your memory, your soulmate’s kiss the only way to set you free.”

Akaashi’s nose scrunched up, he stopped writing about halfway through. “What a tacky and tasteless curse.” 

Kenma couldn’t agree more. A soulmate’s kiss was  _ so  _ overused. 

“I think it explains the three requirements, though,” Akaashi continued. “The curse has three components. Cat, communication, and memories.” 

Bokuto hummed. “So who’s his soulmate? Does he have a girlfriend? Boyfriend?”

Kenma frowned. “No.” As far as Kenma was concerned, Kuroo hadn’t been on a date in years. His last one had been with a girl he’d gone to university with, and it had been a trainwreck. Enough so to turn Kuroo off of dating ever since. 

Akaashi sipped from his mug. “So, now what?”

Kenma’s heart sank. One step forward, and two steps back: that was what today felt like. For every hurdle they jumped, there seemed to be two more that sprung up to replace it. 

Not only this, but Kenma’s stomach tied into knots at the thought of Kuroo finding his soulmate. He wasn’t the jealous type, but Kuroo finding his ‘forever’ seemed like too much for Kenma to bear. Today was proving to be too emotionally tolling for one Kozume Kenma. 

“I may know a soulmate specialist.” Kenma’s head perked up at Bokuto’s words. “At least, he helps people identify their soulmate.” 

While Kenma liked what Bokuto was saying, his somewhat nervous tone put Kenma on edge. Bokuto seemed like a very confident and positive person, at least Kenma gathered that much from the fact that he was almost always smiling and seemed to think it was socially acceptable to go shirtless in front of a stranger. Seeing him hesitant was jarring. 

“Who?” Akaashi questioned. 

“Have you ever met Oikawa Tooru?”

Kenma and Akaashi said “no” in perfect unison. 

“Hah, you see, he’s a little… fickle? Hard to get along with. But I think he’ll help if I ask nicely enough?”

Kenma didn’t have the words to thank these people enough for all their help. He didn’t think such kind people existed, but Akaashi and Bokuto both seemed to constantly be willing enough to go above and beyond to help him and Kuroo. They reminded Kenma of Kuroo, in that sense. He was the person that Kenma associated with the same selfless and generous qualities as they were showing. Perhaps that was why he instantly felt so comfortable around them.

“Thank you,” Kenma whispered. It was a start, at least. 

Bokuto laughed again, as loud as always. “Don’t worry about it! We can’t leave this little guy stuck like this forever now, can we?” 

“Are you going to ring him now?” Akaashi asked over his mug. 

Bokuto nodded. “I’ll just hop into the other room to do it, I’m pretty sure you don’t wanna hear how this conversation goes. I’ll be back!” Bokuto sprung up, and made his way down the corridor and out of Kenma’s sight. 

Suess hooted from his perch, before taking off and flying after Bokuto. Kenma was glad he was gone, his grip on Kuroo loosened slightly. 

“You like him a lot, don’t you?” Kenma asked, though he wasn’t sure what possessed the words to tumble out of his mouth. “Sorry, it isn’t my place.”

“You’re fine,” Akaashi replied. “I think I’ve loved him since the day I met him.”

“Why?” Kenma asked, not because he thought it was odd, but because he genuinely wanted to know. 

“He’s… like a star. Very bright, very beautiful. He makes me feel like everything is going to turn out okay when I’m with him.” 

Akaashi was, to put it simply, fucked, in Kenma’s humble opinion. Not that Kenma wasn’t in that boat with him. Perhaps being in the same situation as someone as beautiful and godly as Akaashi was a good thing. 

“Sorry if that was oversharing.” Akaashi bowed his head.

“I asked, you’re fine.” They lapsed back into silence after that, occasionally hearing Bokuto exclaim something they couldn’t understand from down the hall.

Eventually, he came back, a grin plastered across his face, and Suess perched on his arm. “Okay, he agreed! But we have to go tomorrow, because he’s got a hot date tonight. His words, not mine.” 

Both Kenma and Akaashi smiled like the sun was shining out of Bokuto’s eyes. They were back on track. 

“So how about a sleepover tonight?” Bokuto asked, eyebrows waggling. Kenma thought it was endearing how he asked Akaashi to stay. 

“I’d like that.” Akaashi’s voice was the most tender Kenma had ever heard. 

“You too, Kenma?” Kenma blinked a few times, trying to process this new question. Bokuto wanted him to stay as well?  _ Why? _

“Uh, me?” Kenma stuttered. 

“Are there any other Kenmas in the room?” Bokuto was teasing him, but Kenma was too flustered to be mad. “This way we can leave first thing in the morning!” 

Kuroo meowed again.

“Aw, the little guy wants to stay, that means you have to!” Bokuto placed his hands on his hips, puffing out his chest. “I declare a movie marathon.”

Kenma glared down at Kuroo, who had absolutely betrayed him, but ultimately sighed. “Alright, then. If you say it isn’t overstepping.”

Something in his mind told him he was certainly going to regret this decision. But he wasn’t quite prepared to turn it down. 

* * *

Aside from Suess hooting at random intervals of the evening, it was relatively uneventful. Bokuto managed to find his T.V. remote in the mess of his living room and insisted on a movie marathon. The entirety of  _ The Matrix  _ series had kept them busy, Kuroo dozing off on Kenma’s lap, the rest of them watching the movie intently, occasionally pausing to try and explain to each other what they  _ thought  _ was happening. 

Kenma was far more at home than he thought he’d be. The idea of staying in a stranger’s home should have absolutely terrified him, but there was something about Bokuto and Akaashi that made him feel as though he belonged. Not to mention that they were both extremely helpful - really, Kenma hadn’t known people like this existed. Perhaps the world was kinder than he’d believed. 

After the third movie, (and in Kenma’s opinion, the worst of all the series) and a strange omelette dish Bokuto had cooked for dinner, the moon’s presence shining through the window signified that it was time to get some sleep. Kenma asked to stay on the couch with Kuroo, which Bokuto was more than happy to set up. He gathered some pillows and blankets, laying them out for them both, double checking that he and Kuroo didn’t need anything before Akaashi and himself settled into the bedroom, thankfully taking Suess with them. 

With a shake of his head and a final good night, Kenma was finally alone. Alone with Kuroo, at least. 

Unfortunately, that also meant he was alone with his thoughts. The events of the past 24 hours quickly caught up to him; now he didn’t have any form of distraction, his head seemingly screaming at him.

Bokuto had essentially confirmed his worst nightmare - he was at fault for Kuroo’s situation. And every step they managed to take only made it seem more impossible that they were ever going to solve this. With every answer they found, a new question presented itself. 

Akaashi and Bokuto seemed like terribly nice people, but Kenma worried that soon this was going to be even beyond them. What if this so-called Soulmate Specialist didn’t have any answers for them? That would lead them to an impasse. Then Kuroo could be stuck like this forever, and it’d be Kenma’s fault. Not only would that be possibly the worst thing that could ever happen to Kuroo, but Kenma was terrified at the prospect of being without his best friend. 

Kenma’s palms became sweaty, his breathing laboured. He hadn’t had the time to panic all day, but now alone in the dark, it seemed inevitable. 

For the first time in 24 hours, Kenma let himself feel every anxiety he had. Hot tears stung his eyes, rolling down his cheeks as he sat up on the couch. He was greeted with a pair of gold eyes staring at him from his feet. 

“Kuro?” Kenma hiccuped between tears. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

The golden eyes didn’t break contact with his. Kenma almost wished he could swap magic with Bokuto. He wanted to know what Kuroo had to say, even if Kuroo wasn’t really Kuroo right now. He was pretty sure that no matter what state he was in, Kuroo would always have advice that solved everything. 

Kenma leant forward, wrapping his arms around Kuroo and pulling him into his lap. 

“Kuro, I’m so sorry,” Kenma cried, stroking Kuroo with one hand, and trying to wipe away his tears with the other. “I’m so, so sorry I did this to you.” 

Kenma hadn’t been the one to curse Kuroo, but he was the trigger for what had happened. He was just as guilty as that witch that did this to him was.

“I never wanted anything to happen to you. I’m sorry.” Kenma knew he was babbling, but he couldn’t hold it in any more. No one was around to judge him for his small breakdown, and he wasn’t strong enough to keep it inside. “I love you so much.” 

Kuroo’s big, golden eyes just stared back up at him. Kenma burst into a fresh round of sobs, all his remaining resolve diminished. It was so  _ lonely  _ to not have Kuroo help him back to his feet - had he really been taking his best friend for granted all these years? 

“You mean so much to me, I’m sorry I’m not as good of a friend to you as you are to me.” Kenma closed his eyes to try and hold his tears back, and leant forward to press a soft kiss to Kuroo’s fluffy forehead. He wasn’t sure how else to convey to a cat who didn’t understand him how much he loved him. 

And then, the strangest thing happened. Kenma felt something warm stroking against his cheeks, where his tears had been falling. He cracked open his eyes to reveal Kuroo licking his cheeks, wiping away his tears. But even stranger than that, Kuroo was  _ glowing.  _ A soft gold gleam surrounded his fur like a halo. 

“Akaashi! Bokuto!” Kenma yelled, because he was very certain cats were not supposed to glow. Kenma wasn’t the animal expert, but this seemed  _ wrong.  _

Within moments, Bokuto ran into the room, this time only in owl-print boxers, panic written across his face. “Are you oka- what the fuck? Why’s he doing that?” Bokuto moved over to the couch, crouching down. “Hey, buddy, why are you glowing?”

Kuroo meowed desperately at Bokuto. 

“Holy fuck!” Bokuto exclaimed, fist-pumping the air again. “That’s amazing, oh my god.” 

“What’s happening?” Kenma asked, holding onto Kuroo. His mind was  _ racing,  _ not sure whether to be anxious, or excited that Bokuto seemed happy with whatever this development was. 

Akaashi followed back into the living room, wearing an oversized shirt that Kenma could only assume belonged to Bokuto. His eyes widened in shock as he processed the scene before him. “Cats are not supposed to glow. What’s going on?” 

“Guys, he remembers!” Bokuto ruffled Kuroo’s fur. “Don’t you?” 

Kuroo meowed again. Kenma was sure his heart stopped. 

“Yes!” Bokuto yelled.

“He has his memories back?” Kenma stared wide-eyed between Kuroo and Bokuto, sniffling away the last of his tears. 

Did that mean… 

“Kozume, did you kiss him?” Akaashi’s voice was soft. His gaze, however, was pointed and calculating. 

Kenma bit his bottom lip and nodded. Kuroo nuzzled his cheek. 

“He said he loved you, too,” Bokuto said with a grin. “I guess you’re soulmates.” 

That caused a fresh wave of tears to wash over Kenma, he didn’t care that he was crying in front of these people, he was far too relieved to be self-conscious. Kuroo was his soulmate. 

_ Kuroo was his soulmate.  _

Akaashi moved to their side, crouching beside Bokuto, and placed a hand on Kuroo, closing his eyes. The familiar blue sparks sprung from his fingertips. “One of the locks has been undone.” 

That made sense. One kiss, one lock, one of the three issues solved. Kuroo had his memories back. Kenma lifted him to his chest and squeezed him as tightly as he could. “We’re gonna fix this, Kuroo.” 

Kuroo mewled softly, the golden glow around him fading away. 

“He said he knows and he trusts you. And it’s okay.” 

Kenma pressed another soft kiss to Kuroo’s forehead. “I’m sorry.” 

This time, Kuroo meowed aggressively, causing Bokuto to snort. “He said to stop fucking apologising.” 

“What I don’t understand,” Akaashi interjected, chin in his hands as he stared at the three of them, “-is if the curse was a soulmate’s kiss, why didn’t Kozume’s kiss turn him human again?” 

All four of them were silent, none had an answer to that particular problem. 

Bokuto chimed back in, ever uncomfortable with silences. “Maybe Oikawa can explain it tomorrow?” 

Kenma hoped Bokuto was right about that. After saying good night to Bokuto and Akaashi again, Kenma settled back onto the couch, Kuroo resting on his chest. Later, he’d let himself be overjoyed that Kuroo was his soulmate, but for now, he just had to focus on making Kuroo human again. 

* * *

If Akaashi’s waiting room could be described as cold and impersonal, then Oikawa Tooru’s would be described as exactly the opposite. 

Bright blue walls lit up the entire room, and an array of pot plants and succulents were displayed on every surface. A large mirror with an ornate gold frame was hanging from one wall, while photos of a man that Kenma could only assume was Oikawa himself lined all the others. Kenma couldn’t even imagine how self-obsessed someone had to be to decorate their office with their own head. 

Kenma, Bokuto and Akaashi were squished together on one of the bright blue couches in the waiting area, Kuroo sitting on Kenma’s lap. He’d been meowing to Bokuto all morning, and even though Kenma didn’t understand what they were talking about, he could tell Kuroo had taken an instant liking to Bokuto. 

Kenma had taken a liking to Bokuto as well, even though the man had woken him up at the crack of dawn, already dressed (Kenma had been impressed that Bokuto owned shirts after all) and ready to go. Akaashi had followed, helping himself to coffee in Bokuto’s kitchen, and even offering some to Kenma. Considering these people were virtually strangers, it seemed like a very domestic scene. 

Once they’d had their coffee and Bokuto had found Kenma a new toothbrush to use, they’d set off in Bokuto’s car to wherever Oikawa Tooru’s office was. It had been a nice ride. Kuroo had chosen the music, demanding Bokuto change the radio station until he was happy, and then they settled into the car, occasionally making comments about the weather or weekend plans. 

That was how they found themselves in this distasteful waiting room, Kenma staring up at the crystal chandelier as though it had been the one to turn Kuroo into a cat. Oikawa had told Bokuto that he’d be free at 9:30, they had arrived a tad early just in case. 

However, the second that 9:30 struck, his door swung open, revealing a young man wearing the smuggest expression Kenma had ever seen. He was tall - maybe just a fraction shorter than Bokuto and Kuroo - and had a face like an angel. Big brown eyes adorned with dark lashes, and not a single curl on his head out of place. The photos on his walls truly didn’t do him justice. 

Kenma wondered what the fuck was in Tokyo’s water that made everyone so inhumanly beautiful. 

But then, to ruin the illusion of his grandeur perfection, Oikawa Tooru opened his mouth. “Bokkun, long time no see! Are you still sleeping with that sexy curse-breaker of yours? I’m still single, if not.” He ended this sentence with a dramatic wink. 

Kenma ignored this. Akaashi’s hand balled into a fist at his side, and Bokuto went bright red. “Uh, Oikawa, this is Akaashi and Kenma too! Oh, and Kuroo!” He laughed nervously. 

Oikawa took a step out of his office, hand on hip, and sauntered over to where Akaashi was sitting. “So you’re the one that’s had Bokkun enamoured for three years. I can’t say I blame him.” 

In a grand total of 45 seconds, Kenma decided he did not like Oikawa Tooru one bit. 

“If you’re a soulmate expert, why haven’t you found yours?” Akaashi said cooly. Although it was masked as calm, Kenma could feel the bitterness rolling of Akaashi’s tongue. 

_ Nice kill.  _

Oikawa’s jaw dropped. “You’re magical, you should know the answer to that. We can’t use our magic on ourselves. Have you ever broken a curse on yourself?” Oikawa raised one perfectly trimmed brow. 

“I have, actually.” 

The silence in that room after that jibe was thick enough to cut with a knife. 

“You’re so funny!” Oikawa laughed, trying to ease the tension he’d caused. “How cute. And you must be Kenma and his catboy.” 

Kenma turned to Bokuto with an expression that could only be read as ‘help me’ across his face. Bokuto only replied by grinning and nudging him. It seemed Kenma was on his own for this one. 

“Uh, yeah. We need to find his soulmate.”

Oikawa burst out laughing, doubled over with his hands across his stomach. “You want to find the soulmate of a  _ cat?” _

Kenma huffed. “He’s a person cursed to become a cat. Which I’m sure Bokuto explained to you, so you’d know if you’d paid any attention.” He was far too tired to deal with this person’s antics. Especially after his weird jabs at people that Kenma now called friends, somehow. 

He wasn’t sure when they’d gone from acquaintances to friends, though: perhaps it was when they’d shared a coffee this morning, or during their laughter at  _ The Matrix 3  _ last night, but Kenma knew that he wasn’t prepared to let them take the shit that this overly pompous man was dishing out. 

The glint in Oikawa’s eyes as he straightened himself up and regarded Kenma was enough to send a shiver down his spine. “He’s the one that’s a cat, and yet you’re the one with claws. How interesting.” 

Oikawa smiled at them before continuing. “Come in, let’s see who’s destined to kiss the kitty cat.” 

All three of them rose, Kenma holding Kuroo in his arms, and made their way into Oikawa’s office. Unfortunately, it had the same obnoxious colour scheme and decor as the waiting room. They all glanced nervously at each other as they made their way into the room, all unsure if this so-called ‘expert’ was really going to be able to help them.

“Okay, so Kenma kissed Kuroo last night, and something happened. Now he has his memories back, at least,” Bokuto explained as they walked in. “So we assume Kenma’s his soulmate.” 

Oikawa’s head cocked to the side as he took a seat behind his desk, gesturing for the other three to do the same. “So why do you need me?”

“Because he’s still a cat,” Kenma deadpanned, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Kuroo meowed, and though Kenma couldn’t understand, he knew Kuroo was agreeing with him. 

“Okay, hand him over,” Oikawa said, holding out his arms. Kenma did  _ not  _ want to give Kuroo to this man, but Kuroo seemed to have other plans. He jumped from Kenma’s arms onto the desk, and made his way over to Oikawa. Kenma supposed he was willing to trust his asshole if it meant no longer being stuck in feline form. 

Oikawa closed his eyes and placed a hand over Kuroo, similar to the way Akaashi had hours earlier. Except fluorescent pink sparkles streamed from his fingertips instead of Akaashi’s cool blue. Kenma almost swore they were heart-shaped - soulmate magic was possibly as cliche as movies made it out to be.

“Ooh, how interesting,” Oikawa cooed. 

“What?” Kenma, Akaashi and Bokuto asked in unison. Kuroo meowed too, Kenma assumed he was asking the same thing. 

“He has three soulmates.” Oikawa smiled sweetly at them. 

Kenma’s head, however, was not processing this information. Three soulmates? Who had  _ three  _ soulmates? Sure, Kuroo was loveable as hell, but to have three soulmates? 

Kenma wasn’t sure he wanted to share him. 

“I can hear your mind whirring, Pudding-kun. Let me explain. If he has three soulmates, and you’re one of them, that means you have three soulmates too. It’s not that rare, honestly!” 

“So who are they?” Akaashi questioned. “Do you know?”

“Of course I know!” Oikawa giggled. “But I’m not going to tell you.” 

Kenma’s nose scrunched up in rage. “Why the fuck not?” 

Kuroo rose from the space in front of Oikawa and jumped back into Kenma’s lap, no doubt in an attempt to calm him down. While Kenma moved to stroke his fur, it certainly did not soothe him one iota. 

“Because it wouldn’t be fun that way,” Oikawa sang. Kenma wanted to punch his perfect face, but Kuroo’s presence on his lap prevented him from getting up. 

“Oikawa, what the hell?” Bokuto questioned. “This poor guy’s a cat, why won’t you help us out?” 

“The same reason I won’t tell you who your soulmate is, Bokkun. They’re closer than you think.” He accompanied that last phrase with another wink. 

Kenma knew one thing: he’d gone from disliking Oikawa Tooru to despising him. 

Not only did he somehow make Kenma extremely insecure about his status as Kuroo’s soulmate (which he was really hoping to be more excited about when this had been solved), but he was also incredibly unhelpful, much the opposite of Bokuto and Akaashi. Kenma didn’t know how this man was still in business. 

“We are not paying you for this,” Akaashi said, as though he were reading Kenma’s mind. Kenma nodded in agreement. 

Oikawa didn’t seem put off by this, only leaning back in his chair. “I didn’t plan for you to, but please get out of my office. My next appointment should be on their way.” 

Kenma pitied whoever was next to step foot into this office. With a curt bow of his head, he stood, more than willing to get out of here as soon as he could. 

* * *

“Thank you both for your help,” Kenma bowed at the doorway of Bokuto’s apartment. “I can’t thank you enough. How much do we owe you?” 

“Wait, what?” Bokuto asked, stepping back out of the apartment and back into the foyer Kenma was standing in. “What do you mean ‘owe’? We’re not done!” 

“Plus, we’re friends now, I suppose. You don’t owe us any money. We want to see Kuroo human as well.” A gentle smile spread across Akaashi’s face. “Come in, Kozume, we can come up with a plan.”

“Yeah! Get your skinny ass back in here!”

Kenma wanted to cry. He didn’t know how to respond to such kindness, just staring at them both, mouth gaping like a fish. Kuroo meowed to snap him out of it, clearly he wanted to go in too. 

“But… what can we do?” Kenma asked, voice small. 

Bokuto shook his head, stepping outside to drag Kenma into his apartment. “We’ll work it out. Kuroo agrees.” 

“Thank you,” Kenma whispered as he stepped back into the apartment. A few moments later, Kenma had been directed back to Bokuto’s ugly sofa, Akaashi sitting with Kuroo on his lap for once, and Kenma having a stare-down with Suess. 

“I’m just thinking, are there any other Soulmate Specialists in the area? Surely others would be more helpful.” Bokuto was in the kitchen, making hot drinks while finding a new can of tuna for Kuroo. “Oikawa can’t be the only one.”

“Google only comes up with him,” Akaashi said as he raked his hands through his hair. “But at least he cleared up the reason there are three locks. Three requirements, three soulmates, three locks.” 

That was one way to look at the silver lining. The mystery seemed slightly less daunting now. Kenma still wasn’t sure how he felt about having three soulmates, though. He  _ loved  _ Kuroo, he didn’t know if he could ever love two other people that much, too.

“So, what are we thinking?” Bokuto asked, handing a mug to Akaashi before sitting down. “Suess, stop staring at Kenma! He doesn’t hate you, baby, I promise.” 

“Sorry.” Perhaps the bird was smarter than Kenma had given it credit for, he’d have to be more careful. 

“Nah, you’re fine! Suess is chill.” Bokuto picked Kuroo up from Akaashi’s lap, and placed him on his own instead. Kuroo went willingly, likely very attached to the only person he could freely speak to. 

Akaashi hummed. “We could go to Osaka, they have a Soulmate Specialist. Someone named Miya Atsumu.” 

“That’s way too much effort, let’s save that as a last resort. We could just ask strangers to kiss him until it works.” Bokuto scratched Kuroo under the chin. In the comfort of his own apartment, it was terrifying to see how much shit came out of that man’s mouth. 

Kenma was literally flabbergasted. He didn’t even know how Bokuto thought that was a plausible option, and yet his tone was so earnest that Kenma knew he’d meant every word. 

“How is that less effort than going to Osaka?” Akaashi asked, eyes as wide as Kenma’s. 

“Duh, it’s more fun!” 

“Can we not focus on fun, and focus on getting Kuroo human, please?” Kenma’s head was resting in his hands. He wanted to collapse, maybe cry for a few hours, and yet that would be letting Kuroo down. 

Akaashi nodded. “Kozume has a point. Kissing random people is not the greatest idea. How would we even go about asking them to do that.”

“Who wouldn’t want to kiss a kitty cat?” Bokuto asked, eyebrows drawn together like he was genuinely concerned. “He’s so cute! I wanna kiss him!” With that, Bokuto leant forward and pressed a long kiss to Kuroo’s forehead. When he leant up, he grinned at Kenma and Akaashi. “See, easy peasy!”

But Akaashi and Kenma weren’t paying him any attention, both were staring at Kuroo, who had a soft golden glow surrounding him again. Kenma’s heartbeat increased, his jaw dropping open. 

“Bokuto…” Akaashi murmured. “Look.”

“Oh my god!” Bokuto screamed, standing and hoisting Kuroo into the air. “Oh my god, I’m your soulmate! That’s what Oikawa meant!” Bokuto laughed as he spun Kuroo around in the air, Kenma too startled by this development to protest Bokuto’s movements. 

If Bokuto was Kuroo’s soulmate… that meant he was Kenma’s too. Fate was an awfully strange thing, Kenma never would have guessed that someone as different from Kenma would have turned out to be his soulmate. He didn’t have time to fully process the hurt look in Akaashi’s eyes. There was too much going on around him to concentrate on one thing. 

Kuroo was a cat. Kuroo was Kenma’s soulmate. Two out of three locks had been solved. Bokuto was Kuroo’s soulmate. Bokuto was also Kenma’s soulmate. This most likely broke Akaashi’s heart. 

The last two days had truly been something indescribable. 

“Woah,” said Kuroo. Wait… Kuroo? 

All three of them blinked, Bokuto stopped spinning in shock. “You can speak?”

“Apparently!” 

While it was so jarring to hear his best friend’s deep voice coming out of a  _ cat,  _ Kenma was so relieved to hear it. He stood up, reaching across to grab Kuroo from Bokuto and back into his own arms. “Kuro, I’m so sorry.” 

“Oi! Don’t you do that! It’s alright, Kenma. You’re fixing it.” 

Kuroo really was the kindest soul on the planet. Even though Kenma had just met Bokuto and Akaashi, who were both ridiculously considerate, neither held a candle to Kuroo. He’d gotten turned into a  _ cat,  _ of all things, and still just took it in stride. 

“We’re fixing this,” Kenma said in absolute. They had two soulmates found, and Kenma would jump the ‘how to incorporate Bokuto into his life’ hurdle when he got to it, but for now, his goal was to find this mysterious third soulmate. 

Unless… 

Kenma turned his head to Akaashi. “Kiss Kuroo.” This was the only thing of recent that made any sort of sense to Kenma. If it was Bokuto, then it  _ had  _ to be Akaashi. 

Akaashi went bright red, which he attempted to hide by holding up his hand. “What, me? No way.” 

“Yes way!” Kenma exclaimed, holding Kuroo out to him, earning a soft protest from Kuroo. “Please, Akaashi, I know you’re scared that it’s… not gonna be you, but it’s just logical.” 

“Wait,” Bokuto interjected before Akaashi had a chance to answer. “Why would he be scared?”

“Because he’s in love with you,” Kuroo replied. Kenma was glad Kuroo was there to say it so that he didn’t have to. 

This, however, hit Bokuto like a ton of bricks. His eyes went wide, a shocked look on his face, hands wringing together as though he were nervous. Kenma didn’t know that Bokuto knew  _ how  _ to be nervous. “Keiji?” Bokuto asked, voice small. “You love me?” 

If looks could kill, Kenma was sure that he and Kuroo would be dead. He ignored Bokuto, instead wearing a deep scowl that warped his beautiful features, before leaning forward to press the world’s fastest kiss against Kuroo’s head, before standing up and turning away. “I told you that I wasn’t his soulmate.”

Perhaps heartbreak was causing Akaashi to lash out, but Kenma thought that maybe, if he looked at them for one more second, he’d be relieved instead of heartbroken. Because Kuroo wasn’t just glowing. He’d jumped from Kenma’s arms, a halo around him, and transformed into a human, surrounded by a bright beacon of light, that faded away to leave  _ Kuroo,  _ just as Kenma could last remember seeing him. Kenma’s heart wasn’t just doing backflips in his chest, but a whole rhythmic routine. Kenma was paralyzed, shocked but the newest development even though he’d been the one to propose it. 

Before Kenma had the chance to hug him, Kuroo tapped Akaashi on the shoulder. “Yo.”

Akaashi turned back, eyes blinking. “Kuroo?” 

“You’re hot?” Bokuto asked from his spot in the living room, hands clutching his head. “Oh my god, I have three soulmates. Kenma’s pretty, Kuroo’s hot… and Keiji’s perfect.” 

Kenma didn’t wait another second before launching himself at Kuroo, who was very much real and there and  _ human,  _ and buried his face in his chest. He smelled just like Kenma remembered, just like home. He was lucky, he thought, that the curse had somehow worked so Kuroo transformed back with his clothes. Kuroo’s arms wrapped around him, holding him close, and pressing a kiss to the crown of his head. 

“Kuro,” Kenma mumbled into his chest. “You’re one of my soulmates, I- you love me?” 

Kuroo pulled back, hands holding Kenma’s arms. “Meow.”

Kenma’s heart plummeted into his stomach, he thought he was going to be sick. This could not be happening right now. His vision blurred with a fresh bout of tears, he thought they’d done it.  _ Why hadn’t they done it? _

“No, Kenma, no, I’m sorry, that was a cruel joke! Come here,” Kuroo laughed, pulling Kenma back to him. Kenma was too relieved to be mad at him, but he flicked him between the eyes as he stepped closer. “I’ve loved you for so long. I just didn’t think you loved me back.”

“You moron.” Kenma’s voice cracked at the end. “How could I not have been in love with you all this time?” 

Bokuto cleared his throat from beside them, getting both Kuroo and Kenma’s attention as they turned away from each other, and locked eyes with their other companions. 

“Hello, soulmates,” Kuroo greeted with a wave, his other arm hooked around Kenma’s shoulder. “It’s nice to finally meet you properly.” 

Akaashi had made his way over to Bokuto, and the two were now holding hands. His eyes were rimmed red. Clearly this relief had been just as much for him as it had been for Kenma and Kuroo. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“So, shall we get to know each other properly?” Kuroo asked. “I’ll make drinks. Kenma likes hot chocolate, usually with two marshmallows. Do you have that here?”

_ Kuroo remembered his usual drink order, after all.  _

“Yeah, I’ll show you where!” Bokuto exclaimed, grabbing at Kuroo with his free hand and tugging the three of them into the kitchen. 

Kenma’s mind was still processing what the hell just happened. He’d somehow gone from thinking he was forever alone the other day, to having three incredible people who he was destined to love for the rest of his life. Fate really was the weirdest thing. 

The last 36 hours had been the most insane of Kenma’s life, but standing in the kitchen making hot chocolate with his three soulmates, he realised he wouldn’t have traded a second of it for the world. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!! i hope you enjoyed <3
> 
> so... i may or may not be considering an iwaoi spin-off to this... as well as the bokuaka origin fic... so let me know if that's something anyone wants dfjdks
> 
> feel free to let me know your thoughts either here or on [twitter](https://twitter.com/kodzukuro) , or just drop by to say hi!!


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